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Google announced that it will launch different versions of its services. The kid-friendly YouTube and Chrome are two of the services Google wants to release in the near future. Pavni Diwanji, Google’s vice president of engineering explained that the purpose of the new censored versions of Chrome and YouTube is to ensure the content is suitable for children under the age of 12.
Google’s VP did not disclose the exact details of the upcoming kid-friendly YouTube and Chrome but he suggested that the new technology can be used both at school and at home. He explained that everything will remain the same, except for the fact that all the content will be censored and suitable for kids.
Diwanji said in an official statement:
“The big motivator inside the company is everyone is having kids, so there’s a push to change our products to be fun and safe for children. We expect this to be controversial, but the simple truth is kids already have the technology in schools and at home, so the better approach is to simply see to it that the tech is used in a better way.”
Diwanji continued saying:
“We want to be thoughtful about what we do, giving parents the right tools to oversee their kids’ use of our products. We want kids to be safe, but ultimately it’s about helping them be more than just pure consumers of tech, but creators, too.”
Google’s intentions are good but many will probably criticize it for trying to target the child and pre-teen market.
Google is currently working on developing the kid-friendly YouTube and Chrome versions in their Mountain View headquarters, inside a secret room called the Kids Studio. Diwanji said that her daughter is helping with the insights and is part of the group. She is helping Google deliver what kids want to find in a search engine.
Diwanji said that after her daughter Googled “trains”, the results did not include Thomas the Tank Engine and her daughter said that this must definitely be there because all kids love Thomas.
Google has not divulged which products suitable for kids will be launched first, but YouTube and Chrome will most likely be on the list.
